Cat Scratch Fever
by SundropTsunami
Summary: What happens when the nation's personifications mysteriously turn into cats and find themselves in the hands of college schoolgirls and boys? Well, apparently the unaffected countries panic while the new nekos attempt to discern their problem. When disaster strikes and a hidden enemy makes their move, will our heros find human form in time to stop a new nation from rising to power?
1. Ch 1: Beginnings, pt 1

A sigh escaped her lips as she was bustled along by the everyday crowds on the streets. The tightly packed people seemed never to care about anyone or anything so long as they got where they needed to go. Hell, her feet barely brushed the sidewalk from her position in the swarming horde of business suits, thespian wannabes, old shop owners and the like!

Her bag thumped against her hip as she was jostled again by a surge in the masses. Then, out of nowhere, another irritated young kingpin of some backwoods enterprise shoved his way forward, knocking her out of the flow and onto her feet in a nearby alleyway.

Grunting when her knees fell to the unpaved, gravely earth in the alley, her palms stinging on impact, she scowled when her eyes caught sight of her bag (and belongings) all scattered about in the dank backstreet. A bit of sewage leaking from a high-up gutter on one of the nearby buildings dripped into a puddle, her phone, important papers and other supplies all readily soaked in the disgusting stuff.

With a frown, she scooted over and once again strapped her bag over her shoulder, making to collect her things.

She had just picked up her sodden files and office doodads when something emerged from the shadows in the alley.

A little cat, no bigger than the length her arm, stepped out into the orange sunlight bathing the streets. He bowed his head and sniffed at her phone, that of which was almost half-submerged in a murky puddle. Then he dabbed a paw at the electronic, pushing it out of the puddle and right before her eyes.

A little tentatively, she grabbed her phone, dried it hastily on the inside of her jacket and quickly placed it in her bag, staring with a touch of confusion at the cat.

There was no doubt about it. He was a cute one. He looked like a puffball, his creamy white fur ragged and fluffy on his body. His tail looked like a cloud had permanently attached itself to his body, while his collar was a ring of blackish-purple fluff. The cat even had a pair of oddly sparkling blue eyes, but there was one feature of this feline that threw her off. There were little black markings around his eyes and nose that made it appear as though he were wearing glasses.

...And then the warm side of her heart got the best of her.

She clasped her hands to her chest, sighing dreamily, "Aren't you the cutest!"

Her confusion was multiplied when the cat sat down on it's haunches, eyes going wide in just about as much dumbstruck emotion as she had.

Then an incredibly stupid idea popped it's way into her head.

She pursed her lips. _No... I can't do that..._ she thought. The devil on her shoulder soon replied, _But he's so cute! I can't just leave him here!_

Then, as if someone were there to see her and bust her on her actions, she glanced from side to side. _Looks like the coast is clear!_ With a bright and excited smile, she reached forward and picked up the cat, holding him to her face. He was a bit heavier than she expected, but not something she couldn't handle. He thrashed for a moment before going still and looking her dead in the eyes.

She checked her cardinal directions once more before nudging open her messenger bag and thrusting the cat inside. The feline was just big enough that his head was able to peek out of the side.

He yowled in discomfort, flashed a look to both sides, then up to her.

She stood up, walking out to the edge of the alley. Even as the crowds kept on bustling, she could see her university in it's full glory just a few blocks down, the rising sun casting the great building in shadow.

Looking down, she whispered, "Sorry about this!" before putting the flap of her bag over the side and latching it shut. Still, the cat inside of her bag was somehow able to peep out, his blue eyes shining in the shadow of her satchel. He strangely didn't seem to mind being put into her purse-slash-bookbag.

Taking her chance, she darted out into an open space in the flow of people, shifting every few moments to take another direction in order to make her way up to her first day in HU, or more familiarly known as Hetalia University.

 _Breaking the rules on the first day! What a great first impression Aliyah!_

/\/\/\/

With a groan, she shifted onto her side and slapped her hand down rather violently on the top of her alarm clock that had been screaming at her for the past five minutes straight. With welcomed and peaceful silence greeting her ears now, she sat up in bed and stretched to her heart's content, picking the sleepy crust from her eyes and brushing the frazzled brown locks from her face.

Then her gaze found the actual time on the clock and panic soon set in.

 _7:30!?_

Anxiety flooding her veins, she practically fell out of bed and leaped into the shower, taking the fastest wash in mankind and grabbing a towel to viciously wipe down the scalding water. Patting down her hair with careful yet rushed strokes, she ran back to her room and pulled out her most favorite outfit, lying it out on her blankets in order.

Pulling on the 'unmentionables' first, she then drew on her blue jeans and socks, sliding into her favored boots second. Then, getting comfortable inside of her lucky tank-top, the shirt that looked as though someone had spraypainted Britain's flag onto the fabric, she slipped into her black blazer. Quickly combing out her waist-length dark brunette hair, she smiled proudly at herself in her dresser mirror.

 _Girl, you look fabulous!_ She commented inwardly. Then she reached up and toyed for a moment with the little curl that stood up in the part of her hair. When her arms rested at her sides once again, she sighed. _Well... first day of university... whoop-d-freakin' do..._ her scowl soon faded into a gentle grin. _Hey, at least the gang is getting back together. It's a miracle that we all got accepted into the same college!_

Reaching for her purse, she collected her keys and phone, stepping out into her apartment's hallway and turning to shut the door. Locking the door securely, she was about to make her way down stairs when the oddest of sights met her.

A tiny little feline was sitting on her doormat; a wonder how she had been able to _not_ step on the thing. The kitty was just bigger than the palm of her hand. In fact, she was convinced that she could hold him in her hand with no trouble at all. He appeared to have been sleeping, now stretching out his little legs and giving the quietest of mewls. When he stood up, he glanced around. His fur was a pale, creamy tan, almost yellow with gradient spots of orange on his left eye and tail. And...

 _...Aw!_ the lady's heart melted when she saw how cute the face looked too. His eyes, though black, were little round circles, enhancing the cuteness! And, oddly enough, he had a pair of eyebrows that were a bit thicker than she had been used to seeing, but nonetheless, this was the cutest thing she had seen in months.

She bent down and picked him up, unable to resist a smile when his distressed whimpers came. He flailed for a moment before settling on a hiss, his ears flat against his head. After a few quiet heartbeats, he seemed to relax, if only a little. He let his ears fly back up and he stopped hissing. Then he just stared at her, almost unblinking.

Then a strange sensation overcame her, as if by magic. As though she were being controlled by some outside force.

And then a thought burst into her mind.

She shook her head. _No! No! Eliza you bad, bad girl! You can't break the freaking rules on the first day!_

Then she saw the cat again. And the strange sensation became a little overwhelming. Biting her lip, she rolled her eyes inwardly and smiled down at the little feline.

"Imma call you Iggy!" she proclaimed. In some form of protest, the cat paused, taking in the words, then mewled again, thrice this time. She giggled. "Don't like it do you? Well, too bad. You're coming with me Iggy."

With that, she clutched the small cat to her chest and hightailed it out of the apartment complex, making headway over to her university. The university of Hetalia.

/\/\/\/

One day, he'd been living a normal life. Well, at least, for _him_ he'd been living a normal life. He'd been traveling around central Europe, about to visit his brother in Germany a few weeks before the next world conference. The next day, well, what do you know, he along with two other friends of his had been turned into-

"Cats?!" the Austrian cried. Well, mewed.

"It _is_ a little distressing, but we need to remain calm." the Hungarian, Elizaveta, said. She padded over and sniffed at Roderich's fur. He had a black, almost violet pelt while his face, underbelly and paws were white. She, on the other hand, was tan with brunette spots and stripes on her forehead, spine and tail. She had been able to keep the little flower that always seemed to be perched in the crook of her ear, the bloom still fresh and in it's rightful place.

Then she glanced at him, stepping over to examine his 'new body'.

The Prussian, now new, improved and in feline form, had short, ragged white fur covering his body. It made him seem so much skinnier now, almost gaunt. He shook out his coat, tail twitching as he got used to the body. When he turned to greet Elizaveta, she noticed a scar running vertically over his right eye.

"So where do we go from here?" she mewed.

"Are we to assume the others have incurred this... transformation as well?" Roderich questioned.

"I'd like to think so, yes." the Hungarian replied.

"I don't know about you two, but this is awesome! I can't wait to show West-"

He was cut off by the sound of sirens.

The trio had found themselves in a gray part of a new and unfamiliar town, the place seemingly deserted and devoid of life. Now, a sudden noise deafened them as they pressed together in instinctual fear.

Turning the corner, a huge van, bigger now from their point of view, rolled to a stop not feet from where they stood. It was made of white metal, huge letters and ominous designs etched onto the side. Even still, the cats saw a pair of rows of little hatches on the van, more noises coming from inside.

They immediately recognized the danger of their situation.

"An animal catcher." Elizaveta breathed. She and the Austrian staggered a step back as the shadow of the driver came ever closer.

The Prussian, however, held his ground. He raised his hackles, ears flat against his head, mouth parted as he began to hiss. Ivory white fangs shone in the white light of the cloud-covered sun, chipped as to show the scars of war.

"I'll cover you guys! Get going!" he snapped.

"Are you crazy Gilbert?!" the Hungarian cried.

"I'll follow you in a bit, just go!" the albino feline arched his back, fur fluffing up. In the back of his mind, he realized how cool this was and how surprisingly well he was adjusting to the change.

The catcher rounded the head of the vehicle, a tall, bulky man in an unforgiving uniform with an unforgiving scowl. The first time, he reached down to collect the cat in a rather peaceful way. In retort, the albino leaped to his hind paws, raking sharp claws down the man's arm and watching him bleed.

The catcher howled in pain, reaching for something.

Gilbert took a step back, his eyes catching sight of the loop and pole the man had in hand. And in less time than he thought possible, he was done with.

The thing caught him around the neck, forcing him to the ground in a strange, paralyzed state.

He heard the Hungarian yowl, "Gilbert!" before she too was taken down along with the Austrian.

One by one, they were thrown without remorse into separate hatches inside the van before they were able to move again. Their stress was relieved, if only a little, when they felt that they were at least in cages beside one another.

There were no holes or windows. Just solid material between them and freedom.

By the time the engine had started up, the vehicle revving and already on its way, Elizaveta and Roderich had both been hearing the same thing.

The smack of skull against wall as their Prussian friend attempted to escape with futile effort.

"Give it up already!" Elizaveta hissed through the walls. " _That_ 's not going to work! We need something else!"

 _Smack!_

"Perhaps we can escape as we're being released?" the Austrian suggested.

 _Thud!_

"GILBERT!"

"I cannot be contained..." his speech was slurred a little. "In any... container!" the albino shook his head, clearing it. His red eyes flashed with determination. "You quitters! Have you even _tried_ doing it!?"

Eliza was about to respond when she stopped herself. _Well, we don't really have any other options._

So, she backed up as far as she could in the stifling kennel, her hind legs almost touching the ceiling. With a burst of energy, she leaped forward, bashing head first into the cage's door and tumbling out of the moving van. Catching her breath and regaining her senses on the side of the road, she realized that she was free.

Before she lost sight of the vehicle, she started to run with it, yowling, "Roderich! Gilbert! Keep trying! I made it!"

In less than a heartbeat, the Austrian cat fell from his kennel on the van, splayed out awkwardly on the gravel road beside where the Hungarian once stood.

After a time, she gave up. Her running legs slowed to a walk and then a halt as the van drove mindlessly away and out of sight.

She must have stood there for longer than she thought, for she only noticed Roderich standing beside her when he brushed his tail against her.

"Gil..."

"There is nothing we can do for him now." said her only male companion.

Elizaveta would have glared and retorted, but somehow, it seemed that all of her strength had been taken from her.

They were now cats in a strange part of their beautiful world that they did not recognize. Did the others have the same problem? Where were they? And would they ever see their Prussian compatriot ever again?


	2. Ch 2: Beginnings, pt 2

By the time they had left their apartment, the lively city walkways had died down to a slower, albeit still energetic pace. She and her sister walked side by side, their strides matched perfectly with one another. If you looked at them together, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart aside from their hairstyles. Both had deep russet hair, the same glittering amber eyes, the same skin tone and the list could go on and on. Their hair and personalities were the only thing that changed between them.

Giada was the younger of the two. She was tearfully innocent, if a bit childish, ecstatic, sparky, friendly and all the things that came with being a firecracker. She favored wearing her shoulder length hair up in a ponytail along with a glittering, irresistible smile.

Katya was only a year or two older than her younger sister, but she was drastically different. Terse and curt of word, a tongue tainted with swear words galore, headstrong, an unbreakable will and short of fuse. Yep. Complete and total opposite of Giada. But she had a heart of gold if you could pierce her outer shell of steel. Passion, empathy, a great friend, and much more, even if a little protective. All of these, hardly ever worn on her sleeve. Aside from her inner workings, she had a tight circle of appearance/s. Her rusty waterfall of hair was normally braided into a long, thick braid that withered off just below her waist. Other times she wore it loosely with a marshy green headband, paired with a scowling facade.

Yes, the Ferrari sisters were mirror opposites, but each cared for the other and their friends deeply, and that, I suppose, is all that matters.

"I cannot begin to understand how you're still so lively, Gia." Katya muttered, folding her arms.

Giada simply bounced on her heels, flashing Katya a cheerful look. "And _I_ can't understand how _you_ are still so grumpy today, Katya! We get to see everyone again! We might even get dorms with someone we know!" when her sister just huffed and continued walking, she sighed. "Jeez."

Katya sighed as well. "Well, do you want to get some coffee before we actually get there? I think we've got time..." she paused to dig out her phone and click it on, scanning for the time. "Yeah, so-" she stopped dead. "Giada, what in the hell are you doing?"

"Oh! Look Katya! A pair of cute little kittens have come to see us!"

/\/\/\/

This situation did not sit well with him. And by that, he meant he did not like this. Not one bit. Just yesterday he had been strolling around with that tomato-bastard, not that he didn't enjoy his company... but nonetheless, they had simply been taking a walk, enjoying all the things a certain new had to offer, then retired to another new scene the Spaniard had found and passed out for the night.

He did not, and let me repeat, he did _not_ expect to wake up the next morning, not only traveling around a place he did not recognize with his idiotic brother, but in the form of a _gato_!

Feli gasped. Or at least, the cat form of a gasp. "Oh! Lovi, look at-"

"Damn it, Feli, what now?!"

"There's some pretty girls looking at us!"

So, Lovino turned to stand beside his brother, now a little daunted at the sight of humanity. There were indeed two girls crouching down to look at them, but they were much more than two times their size. Still, it gave him a great view of-

"Aw! Aren't they the cutest, Katya?" one of them asked.

The one, Katya, knelt down beside the other. She gave a gentle, almost unnoticeable smile, one Lovino felt she seldom gave. "I suppose."

She reached out, her fingers brushing Lovino's ear. He wanted to shy away or even lash out at the lady with his new-found claws, but strangely enough, he found himself... purring. She was stroking the fur on his head and ears gently, forcing that silky sound from his throat. Oddly, he didn't seem to mind, where usually his indignant nature would be his shield.

"Can we keep them, Katya?"

 _Oh Hell no!_ Lovino took a step back. When he saw Feli still rubbing up against the other girl, he hissed. "Feli! Let's get out of here now!"

"Giada, you know we can't have pets on campus." said Katya.

Feli would have spoken, were it not for the woman petting him speaking up.

"But Eliza said she found a kitty and kept it." she whined. "She said it had funny eyebrows too!"

 _Funny eyebrows..._ "Feli! Do you think she means that English bastard?"

"Hm... maybe? Do you think they're in the same position as we are?"

"Perhaps..."

"Ve~! Are you saying you want to go with these pretty ladies?"

"What?! I...er... I'm only saying we need to go along with these two so we can find out just why we're cats. I'm betting that the others have our problem too, so if they _are_ talking about the English bastard, then maybe we have a chance at figuring this mess out."

"Aw! They're talking to each other!" whimpered Giada, her hands clasped to her chest.

"Fine. If taking them will get you to shut the hell up, okay. Just know that any repercussions of this will not be my fault." Katya snorted

"Yay!" Giada grabbed for Feliciano, holding him before her face. Her smile was blinding. "You're coming with us little guys!"

Katya shook her head, giving a disapproving sigh as she held up Lovino. Giving in, she smiled softly.

Lovino, on the other hand, resisted a scowl. _This is going to be one,_ long _, ordeal, isn't it?_

/\/\/\/

"Chrissa! Come on! We're going to be late!" she called out.

"Coming!" she heard her friend shout from upstairs.

Just before the door clicked shut, Chrissa came bounding down the stairs from their apartment, sliding out the door as it locked and stopped, huffing for breath, smiling all the while.

"I'm ready for action!" she chirped, taking in one big gulp of air before shaking herself out and leaning against the wall of the next door shop.

She looked her little friend over. From her point of view, Chrissa was wearing nothing but some black yoga pants, a tan tank top under a, surprise surprise, black jacket embroidered with some sort of absurd anime design. Axis Powers Hetalia, she assumed, from the characters on the torso of the jacket. She knew of this only because of that one 'all-nighter' that Chrissa had made her take whilst watching APH and scarfing down obscene amounts of junk food. The next day felt like the worst hangover of her life, and she could never, even to this day, tell why.

Chrissa bounced on her heels, her hands in her jacket pockets. "Come on, lets go slowpoke!"

"Hah, nice one. But-" she gestured to the _other_ stuff Chrissa had equipped. "Are you sure you have everything you need? Today is going to be a busy day, what with it being _first day of college!_ "

"Yep." Chris held up her shoulder bag, bulging with the supplies she had stuffed inside. She then slung it over her arm and held up her laptop case. She noticed a cord running from the end of the zipper on the case all the way around Chrissa's neck, to which was connected her favorite pair of bulky black headphones blaring some sort of anime theme song. The rims around the headphones glowed to the beat of the music.

"But-" Chrissa waved her hand in gesture to her friend Kim. "Are you sure _you_ have all the stuff _you_ need?"

Kim was wearing a smooth, inky black blazer buttoned over a shirt obscured by the fabric. Some dark, low-cut jeans were pulled over her legs where a pair of simple white sandals were on over her feet. She didn't even have a purse.

"Yeah, I've got everything set up at campus. You ready to go?"

"Are you?"

"Yes! Let's go!" Chrissa gave a little jump, smoothed a strand of her raven hair behind her head, adjusted her headphones and started down the sidewalk.

Kim shook her head with a gentle smile, made sure the apartment door was locked and jogged to catch up with Chris.

Yes, these two were similar, but not at all alike. They both favored the color black, looked like emo enthusiasts, and not to mention they both even looked like twins. But, one was chipper and full of life, an absolute nerd _and_ an otaku, whilst the other was calm, reserved and much more mature. No, they weren't related, but the circumstances that brought them together forged a bond stronger than sisterhood.

"So, may I ask what phase you have gotten to in that anime world of yours?" Kim asked.

Chrissa positively beamed. "You know APH, right?"

"Axis Powers Hetalia?"

"Yes! So, ever since that night we watched all the first four seasons together-" Kim shivered at the thought. "I've been diving in as much as I possibly could into the fandom and it. Is. Amazing!"

"Anything I might _possibly_ need to know?" Kim feigned interest in the words, smiling as Chris practically pulsed with excitement.

"Oh yeah! I found this theory that HRE-"

"Who?"

"Holy Roman Empire."

"Ah."

"Well, I found this theory that he's actually Germany reincarnated... kind of... well, everyone says that after the battle HRE went to when he left Chibitalia, he lost to France in the battle and somehow lost his memory. Prussia found him later and took him in again, naming him Germany. Isn't it sad and sweet and everything in between?"

"Wow. That's... yeah."

And so their walk to the college campus went on like this for some time, Chrissa droning on about APH and Kim listening as any kind friend would do.

That is, until the screech of a cat sounded from some dark alleyway and startled the both of them.

At the noise, Chrissa jumped.

"Hey, calm down. It's just a cat or two." Kim soothed. She turned and took a look down the alley. There was just enough light for her to see the ruckus. There was a handful of stray felines, all standing on some stagnant dumpsters, surrounding two on the ground. The strays were all in hostile mode, their backs arched and fur spiked. The two below weren't even fighting back, one of them, a grayish-black one, was standing over a smaller one. The smaller of the two was black, with a white underbelly stretching to his chin. But that one, he seemed _too_ small.

The gray-black one hissed as a stray leaped and attacked.

"Oh no!" Chrissa whimpered, her hands over her mouth in fright.

Shaking her head, Kim intervened. She strode into the alley, but just as she was within a foot of the dumpsters, the strays noticed her and fled.

The gray cat whipped around, staring at Kim with molten hot amber eyes. It took a step back, now crouching over the black and white feline.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." she whispered, kneeling down and disregarding the slight gross indication of a sewage puddle soaking her knee. She reached out and held a hand to the gray cat.

The cat held still for a moment, as though assessing the situation. After a few, oddly tense, silent heartbeats, he stepped up and pressed his muzzle into her hand. He was strangely soft, the gray fur fuzzy and warm on her fingers. It was then, she noticed, that there was a weird strand of fur dangling off of the gray one's neck, sort of like a-

"Ponytail..." she muttered.

"Oh my gosh! He's bleeding!" Chrissa shouted.

 _Where did she come from?_ Shaking away the thought, Kim shifted to look at the black and white cat. _So there_ is _a reason he looks so small._ The poor cat was so gaunt it was heartbreaking, the monochrome fur hanging limp on his body. But Chris was right. There was a modest gash running from the cat's left hind leg up to his spine, the blood seeping out from the wound, soaking the fur and crusting over the edges.

The gray feline tensed at Chrissa's arrival, but let her smooth out the black and white one's fur to clear the wound.

"We can't just leave him here!" Chris whined with a worried pout.

Kim closed her eyes with a sigh. "You're right, but..." she looked down at the two cats. The gray one was stroking his companion's forehead with his tongue in a sort of soothing manner.

"Okay. Fine. We'll take him to campus, hopefully no one will notice. We have to go fast! We're already late as it is!"

Chrissa nodded, then moved to swiftly, but gently, pick up the injured feline.

The gray cat yowled in indignation.

"I'm sorry, but we have to do this!" Chris whispered, scooping up her charge.

Rubbing up against Kim, the gray one urgently pawed to get her attention.

Rolling her eyes, Kim grabbed 'Gray' and held him to her face. "Fine then, you're coming along too!"

/\/\/\/

These kinds of places always unnerved her. The mechanical, blinding white lights. The oddly pristine white ceilings and floors, seemingly always made of tiles that were a bit _too_ clean. The monotone staff, ready to hand away whatever new stray or disease-ridden animal they had been handed. Just so they could get their money's worth. They didn't really care about the cats or the dogs or the birds or _whatever_ animal they had. It was always about the money.

"So ma'am, how may I help you today?" the receptionist asked.

Without even thinking of the words, she said, "I'm interested in adopting a cat." _Huh. Where did that come from?_

"Alrighty! One of our section managers will be right with you!" said the too-perky female receptionist.

And, true to her word, a tall, gangly man with a vest and a pin displaying his reputation within this animal's hellhole asked for her and began to lead her down another irritatingly bright hallway.

"-here we are ma'am," the man gestured to the room. It was small, about fifteen by fifteen feet if she could judge an approximate size. Rows of cages lined each wall, all made of some sort of hard, plastic stuff, excepting the wire mesh in the front for showing off the trap's unfortunate victim.

"I'll leave you to get acquainted with your new little buddy, alright? Alright!" then the door shut behind her.

She released a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. Rubbing her temple, she thought. _Ugh, why did I even come here. I_ know _I can't have pets on campus! Maybe this was just some cruel joke played on me by 'God' about the worth of my existence. A useless lump of flesh and bones with about forty more years left before I kick the bucket._

She smirked, then looked up as if to pass a challenging glare up to the great deity in the sky. Shaking her head, she started to wander the small room, her heart unwillingly breaking as she heard the pitiful mewls and whimpers from the caged animals.

She crouched down to get a look at the cats on the bottom row. Scanning the cages, she saw them all about the same. The cats were scattered about in various positions and in various colors in their cages, either sleeping or slouching near the front of their trap. Some were pawing at the mesh at the front of their cage for her attention, others didn't even bother. But then she noticed the anomaly in the line of sequence.

One cage looked empty. _Almost_ empty.

Squinting, she saw the lump of snowy white fur on the skinny body of a tomcat resting on his paws in the very back of his cage. His head was dipping up and down, his tongue stroking some sort of yellow ball in the corner.

Somehow interested, she unlatched the door to the cage, jumping when the feline in the back hissed and pressed against the back wall. She frowned when she saw how skinny the poor thing was. His tail lashed as best it could, his oddly garnet red eyes flashing menacingly. She noticed jagged white claws glinting on the metal floor.

Reaching into the cage, she gently, yet firmly grabbed the feline, shifting as it moved against her grip before bringing it out into the light and open air.

Standing to her full height, she looked the cat over.

It was skinny and white, of course, but there was a nick in his left ear and a ragged scar over his left eye. His ears were flat against his head, his teeth bared.

Then a noise caught her ear. _Was that... a chirp? There it is again._ She looked down and saw a puffball of a bird hatchling wedged between her chest and the cat. It looked to be all feathers and down, a literal ball of yellow fluff with only two black circles for eyes and a tiny orange beak.

As if disregarding his situation, the albino cat relaxed, his muscles unwinding as he leaned down and stroked his tongue once over the little bird's fluff. The bird chirped in glee.

"-So! Have you picked you're new partner, ma'am? Ma'am?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and the urge to soothe the cat and his apparent avian companion when, as the door slammed open, he tensed in fear.

"Uh, yes. I think I'd like this guy." she puffed a strand of her hair from her face and smiled down at the white cat. The cat, somehow, scowled back at her.

The section manager stepped over and peered over her shoulder, frowning deeply. "Oh, this one." he breathed with a little too much ire. "He's a real troublemaker. It might be best to keep looking."

"I _said_ , I'll take this one."

"But, ma'am, he has a rodent. I simply cannot believe he smuggled that... thing in here. We'll just take care of this for you and you can get on your way-"

"I said I'll take him, and he comes with the bird." she snapped, shouldering past the man and into the hallway. "I trust we can take care of the adoption here in a moment?"

…

 _I can't believe this! I've just been bought and sold like some sort of... animal!_ He huffed and settled for taking out his anger by washing down his bird. He stroked his tongue over the soft feathers, surprised at how the down managed to _not_ stick to his mouth. Then he paused. _I suppose it does make sense. I'm somehow a cat now._

As he continued to lick Gilbird ( _clever name, right?_ ) he surveyed his current situation. First, he'd been dumped in the middle of who-knows-where beside Elizaveta and Roderich as a cat. If that hadn't been surprising enough, they'd all been captured by an animal catcher. He'd heard Roderich and Eliza escape, but he hadn't been so lucky, even though he may have suffered a concussion trying to do so. _Then_ , he'd been taken to this asinine place, given a dozen random needles to the side and shoved into a cage. A cage! How dare they try to contain his awesomeness? And now he was being 'adopted'! What the hell?! He needed to find Eliza and Roderich as soon as possible, and that was next to impossible now.

He tensed as he felt the carrier rock. He crouched over Gilbird, staying low and glaring out of the wire mesh doorframe. _Being carried out..._ he assessed.

He saw someone, that lady with the white hair and the red eyes ( _great style choice, by the way!_ ) he assumed, open up a car door and place the carrier gently on the front passenger seat.

When he heard the door click closed and the driver side door open up, he peered out the side of the carrier to look at his new 'owner'. She was wearing a very loose gray vest over a white t-shirt scribbled with black cursive writing. Ripped jeans covered her legs down to a pair of leather boots at her mid-calves. A pair of silver earbuds rest on her neck.

 _Great. Just what we needed. I'm doomed._ He sighed inwardly. He sat down as the car engine hummed to life, startled when Gilbird chirped as he sat on the little guy. Shifting to sit on his side beside the bird, he put his head on his paws and curled his ragged tail over his nose, trying to get some semblance of sleep and relaxation before this nightmarish hellhole got any worse.

/\/\/\/

The car seethed as the engine purred when the keys were latched into the ignition. With the car all set, she pulled out her phone, unplugged her earbuds in the audio jack, and played _Uptown Funk_ by Bruno Mars on full blast. Tossing her head so the white strands of hair in her face were flipped away, she spared a look to the cat carrier in her passenger seat, unable to resist a laugh when she saw through the wire mesh, her new cat holding down his ears.

 _Is it really that loud?_ She thought with a giggle as she turned down the music a touch. Shaking her head, she pulled on her seatbelt and gripped the steering wheel, ready to head to her first day at HU. Her first day which she would most likely be late to.

 _Eva and Armada said they both found cats too. And they're both takin' em in. And we're not allowed to have pets on campus. Well, screw the rules! You only live once!_

…

 _ **Okay, first of all, apologies to any veterinarians I may have offended. I simply am conveying a message the character in the story has in her head. Second, thank you for reading this story. This was kind of a 'spur of the moment' idea that I got. I do have plot for it, but it's really jumbled. So expect erratic updates, if you keep with it. Also, if you**_ **did** ** _make it this far, I suggest you do keep with the story. The first handful of chapters will be the girls, (and all the other characters I have in mind for this!) getting settled and into their daily shenanigans. The real plot_** **will** ** _happen. I promise._**

 _ **Also, as I am not yet in college, all I have to go off of is the representation of university/college in Pitch Perfect and anyone I know that**_ **has** ** _been in university/college. So, prepare for awkward descriptions. Maybe. Probably. Oh, who am I kidding, the beginning of this is going to be filled with crack, weird things and everything else in between._**

 _ **So, until next time!**_


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